Sleeves formed of polymeric materials having a texture or appearance simulating the texture or appearance of paper

ABSTRACT

A substantially flexible, shape-sustaining article having an appearance simulating paper made by forming a flexible, laminated material having a paper-like texture or appearance into a substantially flexible article for receiving an object. The substantially flexible article includes a base having a lower end, an open upper end with an object opening extending therethrough and a decorative border extending outwardly from the open upper end of the base. The lower end of the base of the article may be closed and may also contain a gusset.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/307,125, filedNov. 26, 2002; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/746,807,filed Dec. 22, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,307, issued Feb. 18, 2003;which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/153,428, filed Sep. 14, 1998,now U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,251, issued Apr. 2, 2002; which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/098,898 filed Jun. 17, 1998,now abandoned; which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S.Ser. No. 60/050,867, filed Jun. 26, 1997, the contents of which arehereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to polymeric materials having a textureand appearance simulating the texture and appearance of paper, and moreparticularly but not by way of limitation, to preformed,shape-sustaining flower pot covers, flower pot and floral wrappings, andribbon materials made from such polymeric materials. In one aspect, thepresent invention relates to methods for producing preformed,shape-sustaining flower pot covers and methods of wrapping floralgroupings and flower pots with a sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance simulating the texture and appearance of paper toprovide a decorative cover for such floral groupings and flower pots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper of FIG. 1 having a bondingmaterial disposed along one edge thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper of FIG. 2 having a floralgrouping disposed thereon.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the floral grouping of FIG. 3 beingwrapped with the sheet of polymeric material having a texture andappearance assimilating paper of FIG. 2 by one method of wrapping.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a decorative cover for the floralgrouping formed from the sheet of polymeric material having a textureand appearance assimilating paper of FIG. 2 wherein the decorative coverformed from the sheet of polymeric material has a conical configuration.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a decorative cover for the floralgrouping formed from the sheet of polymeric material having a textureand appearance assimilating paper of FIG. 2 wherein the decorative coverhas a substantially cylindrical configuration.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a decorative cover positioned about aflower pot wherein the decorative cover is formed from the sheet ofpolymeric material having a texture and appearance assimilating paper ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a flower pot cover former and bandapplicator apparatus having the sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper of FIG. 1 disposed above anopening of the flower pot cover former and band applicator and having aflower pot disposed above the sheet of polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a sheet of expanded core polymeric filmhaving a texture and appearance assimilating paper wherein an acrylicheat sealable lacquer is disposed on at least one surface thereof.

FIG. 9B is a perspective view of a laminated sheet of material whereinone surface is modified or textured to provide the sheet of laminatedmaterial with a texture and appearance assimilating paper.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a preformed pot cover formed from asheet of polymeric material having a texture and appearance assimilatingpaper.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the preformed pot cover of FIG. 10having a flower pot disposed therein.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view of a male and femalemold having a sheet of polymeric material having a texture andappearance assimilating paper disposed therebetween for forming thepreformed pot cover of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a floral sleeve formed from the sheetof polymeric material having a texture and appearance assimilatingpaper.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the floral sleeve of FIG. 13 disposedabout a floral grouping.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a floral sleeve having a cinchingmember wherein the floral sleeve is formed from a sheet of polymericmaterial having a texture and appearance assimilating paper.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the floral sleeve of FIG. 15 disposedabout a floral grouping.

FIG. 17 is a side view of a sleeve having a detachable portion whereinthe sleeve is formed from a sheet of polymeric material having a textureand appearance assimilating paper.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 17 having a flowerpot disposed therein.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a flower pot disposed in the sleeve ofFIG. 17 wherein an upper portion of the sleeve has been removed toprovide a decorative cover having a skirt.

FIG. 20A is a perspective view of a polymeric ribbon material having atexture and appearance assimilating paper.

FIG. 20B is a perspective view of a polymeric ribbon material formed ofan expanded core polymeric film having a texture and appearanceassimilating paper.

FIG. 20C is a perspective view of a laminated polymeric ribbon whereinat least one surface of the laminated polymeric ribbon is modified ortextured to provide the laminated polymeric ribbon with a texture andappearance assimilating paper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Description of FIGS. 1-8

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, designated generally by the referencenumeral 10 is a sheet or web of polymeric material having a texture andappearance assimilating paper (hereinafter referred to as the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 or the sheet of polymeric material 10 having atexture and appearance assimilating paper). That is, at least onesurface of the sheet of polymeric material 10 has been modified toprovide a matte or textured finish assimilating the texture andappearance of paper. The term “texture and appearance assimilatingpaper” may be used interchangeably herein with the terms “matte ortextured finish assimilating the texture and appearance of paper” and“texture and appearance simulating the texture and appearance of paper”.

The modification of the sheet of polymeric material 10 to provide thesheet of polymeric material 10 with a matte or textured finishassimilating paper in texture and appearance can be accomplished inseveral ways. For example, a matte finish can be provided by printing adesired pattern on the sheet of polymeric material 10 and thereafterlaminating a matte material, such as a translucent polymeric film, overthe printed pattern. To further enhance the texture and appearanceassimilating paper of the sheet of polymeric material 10, the mattematerial may or may not have a plurality of spatially disposed holesextending therethrough. A matte or textured finish can also be producedby printing a sheet of polymeric material 10 with a matted (i.e. dullfinish) ink, by lacquering at least one surface of the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 with a dull finish lacquer or a matting lacquer,by embossing the sheet of polymeric material 10 to provide an embossedpattern simulating the weave or texture of paper, or by embossing andprinting the sheet of polymeric material to provide embossed and printedpatterns wherein the embossed and printed patterns may be in registry,out of registry, or wherein a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are in registry and a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are out of registry. A matte or textured finish capable ofproviding the sheet of polymeric material 10 with a texture andappearance assimilating paper can also be achieved by extruding apolymeric resin onto a matted or textured chill roll or by laminating asecond sheet of material to the sheet of polymeric material 10. A matteor textured finish capable of providing the sheet of polymeric material10 with a texture and appearance assimilating paper can also be achievedthrough the use of selected pigments, such as TiO₂.

The sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture and appearanceassimilating paper has an upper surface 14, a lower surface 16, and anouter peripheral edge 18. At least one surface of the sheet of polymericmaterial 10, such as the lower surface 16, is matted or textured asdescribed above to provide the sheet of polymeric material 10 with atexture and appearance assimilating paper. The outer peripheral edge 18of the sheet of polymeric material 10 comprises a first side 20, asecond side 22, a third side 24, and a fourth side 26. A bondingmaterial 27 (FIG. 2) may be disposed on at least a portion of one orboth surfaces 14 and 16 of the sheet of polymeric material 10, such asthe upper surface 14 thereof as shown in FIG. 2 and as furtherillustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,364, the specification of which ishereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

The sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture and appearanceassimilating paper may be employed to provide a decorative cover for afloral grouping (FIGS. 3 through 6) or a decorative cover for a flowerpot (FIG. 7); to form a preformed flower pot cover for covering a flowerpot (FIGS. 10 and 11); to provide a sleeve for wrapping or covering afloral grouping (FIGS. 13 through 16) or a flower pot (FIGS. 17 through19); or to provide a ribbon material FIGS. 20A through 20C). The use ofthe sheet of polymeric material 10 to form a decorative cover for afloral grouping or a flower pot wherein the decorative cover is providedwith a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper, or to form a sleeve for a floral grouping or a flower pot whereinthe sleeve is provided with a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper, or to form a preformed flower pot coverhaving a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearanceof paper, or as a ribbon material having a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper will be described inmore complete detail herein.

As noted above, the sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper can beutilized to form a decorative cover for a floral grouping or a flowerpot. The term “flower pot” as used herein refers to any type ofcontainer for holding a floral grouping, or a plant, or even anotherpot-type container. Examples of flower pots and/or pot-type containersinclude, but are not limited to, clay pots, wooden pots, plastic pots,pots made from natural and/or synthetic fibers, or any combinationthereof. Such flower pots and/or pot-type containers are provided with aretaining space for receiving a floral grouping. The floral grouping maybe disposed within the retaining space of the flower pot with a suitablegrowing medium described in further detail below, or other retainingmedium, such as a floral foam. It will also be understood that in somecases the floral grouping, and any appropriate growing medium or otherretaining medium, may be disposed in a sleeve formed from the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 if the sleeve is adapted to contain a medium.

“Floral grouping” as used herein means cut fresh flowers, artificialflowers, a single flower or other fresh and/or artificial plants orother floral materials and may include other secondary plants and/orornamentation or artificial or natural materials which add to theaesthetics of the overall floral grouping. Further, the floral groupingmay comprise a growing potted plant having a root portion as well.However, it will be appreciated that the floral grouping may consist ofonly a single bloom or only foliage, or a botanical item (not shown), ora propagule. The term “floral grouping” may be used interchangeablyherein with the term “floral arrangement”. The term “floral grouping”may also be used interchangeably herein with the terms “botanical item”and/or “propagule.”

The term “growing medium” when used herein means any liquid, solid orgaseous material used for plant growth or for the cultivation ofpropagules, including organic and inorganic materials such as soil,humus, perlite, vermiculite, sand, water, and including the nutrients,fertilizers or hormones or combinations thereof required by the plantsor propagules for growth.

The term “botanical item” when used herein means a natural or artificialherbaceous or woody plant, taken singularly or in combination. The term“botanical item” also means any portion or portions of natural orartificial herbaceous or woody plants including stems, leaves, flowers,blossoms, buds, blooms, cones, or roots, taken singularly or incombination, or in groupings of such portions such as bouquets or floralgroupings.

The term “propagule” when used herein means any structure capable ofbeing propagated or acting as an agent of reproduction including seeds,shoots, stems, runners, tubers, plants, leaves, roots or spores.

In the embodiments shown in the drawings, the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 having a texture and appearance assimilating paper intexture and appearance is square. It will be appreciated, however, thatthe sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture and appearanceassimilating paper in texture and appearance can be of any shape,configuration or size as long as the sheet of polymeric material 10 issufficiently sized and shaped to wrap and encompass a floral grouping ora flower pot. For example, the sheet of polymeric material 10 may have arectangular, round, oval, octagonal or asymmetrical shape. Further,multiple sheets of the polymeric material 10 may be used in a singlecircumstance to provide a decorative cover or sleeve for a floralgrouping or a flower pot. Moreover, when multiple sheets of thepolymeric material 10 having a texture and appearance assimilating paperin texture and appearance are used in combination, the sheets ofpolymeric material 10 need not be uniform in size or shape. Finally, itwill be appreciated that the sheet of polymeric material 10 having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of papershown herein is a substantially flat sheet except for the texturing,matting, embossing, flocking, application of a foamable lacquer orfoamable ink, or other treatments and techniques employed to provide thesheet of polymeric material 10 with the desired texture or matting sothat the sheet of polymeric material 10 has a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper.

Any thickness or stiffness of the sheet of polymeric material 10 may beutilized in accordance with the present invention as long as the sheetof polymeric material 10 can be modified to provide the sheet ofpolymeric material with a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper and the sheet of polymeric material 10having a texture and appearance assimilating paper can be wrapped aboutat least a portion of a floral grouping or a flower pot to form adecorative cover for the floral grouping or the flower pot, or formedinto a preformed flower pot cover for covering a flower pot, or a sleevefor wrapping or covering a floral grouping or a flower pot, or toprovide a ribbon material. Generally, the sheet of polymeric material 10will have a thickness of from about 0.1 mil to about 30 mil, and moredesirably a thickness of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil. The terms“polymer film”, “polymeric film” and “polymeric material” when usedherein means a synthetic polymer such as a polypropylene orpolyethylene, a naturally occurring polymer such as cellophane, anextruded polymeric material having an expanded core such as extrudedpolypropylene having an expanded core and combinations thereof. Theextruded polymeric material having an expanded core may also be referredto herein as an expanded core polymeric material.

“Extruded polymeric material having an expanded core” or “expanded corepolymeric film” as used herein means any extrudable polymeric materialor polymeric film in which the core is expanded during extrusion, suchas by incorporation of a blowing agent in the polymeric resin which isbeing extruded.

The sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture and appearance ofpaper may also be constructed, in whole or in part, from a clingmaterial. “Cling material” when used herein means any material which iscapable of connecting to the sheet of material and/or itself uponcontacting engagement during the wrapping process and is wrappable aboutan item whereby portions of the cling material contactingly engage andconnect to other portions of another material, or, alternatively,itself, for generally securing the material wrapped about at least aportion of a flower pot. This connecting engagement is preferablytemporary in that the material may be easily removed, i.e., the clingmaterial “clings” to the flower pot.

The cling material is constructed and treated if necessary, frompolyethylene such as Cling Wrap made by Glad®, First Brands Corporation,Danbury, Conn. The thickness of the cling material will, in part, dependupon the size of sleeve and the size of the flower pot in the sleeve,i.e., generally, a larger flower pot may require a thicker and thereforestronger cling material. The cling material will range in thickness fromabout 0.1 mil to about 10 mil, and more desirably from about 0.5 mil toabout 2.5 mil. However, any thickness of cling material may be utilizedin accordance with the present invention which permits the clingmaterial to be modified as hereinbefore described to provide the clingmaterial with a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper.

A decorative cover for a floral grouping (FIGS. 3 through 6), or adecorative cover for a flower pot (FIG. 7), or a preformed flower potcover for covering a flower pot (FIGS. 10 and 11), or a sleeve forwrapping or covering a floral grouping (FIGS. 13 through 16) or a flowerpot (FIGS. 17 through 19), or a ribbon material (FIGS. 20A through 20C)may also be constructed of a laminated material having a texture andappearance assimilating paper in texture and appearance (as shown inFIG. 9B and described in more detail hereinafter). The laminatedmaterial having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be produced by laminating two or more sheets ofpolymeric film (such as two or more sheets of polypropylene film or asheet of polypropylene film and a sheet of expanded core polymeric film,such as expanded core polypropylene film), or by laminating a polymericfilm (such as polypropylene film or an expanded core polymeric film) tometallized foil and the like wherein at least one surface of thelaminated material is textured or modified to assimilate the texture andappearance of paper. The only requirements in using a laminated materialhaving a texture and appearance assimilating paper in texture andappearance to form a decorative cover for a floral grouping, or adecorative cover for a flower pot, or a preformed flower pot cover forcovering a flower pot, or a sleeve for wrapping or covering a floralgrouping or a flower pot, or as ribbon material in accordance with thepresent invention is that at least one surface of the laminated materialbe capable of being modified to provide the laminated material with atleast one surface having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper and that the laminated material besufficiently flexible or pliable to permit the laminated material to beformed into a decorative cover for a floral grouping, or a decorativecover for a flower pot, or a preformed flower pot cover for covering aflower pot, or a sleeve for wrapping or covering a floral grouping or aflower pot, or to be used as ribbon material. It should also be notedthat two or more separate sheets of polymeric material can be used toform a decorative cover for a floral grouping, or a decorative cover fora flower pot, or a preformed flower pot cover for covering a flower pot,or a sleeve for wrapping or covering a floral grouping or a flower potas long as one of the sheets of polymeric material is modified ortextured to provide same with a texture and appearance assimilatingpaper.

The sheet of polymeric material 10 or a laminated material (FIG. 9B)having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearanceof paper may vary in color. Further, the sheet of polymeric material 10or a laminated material may be provided with other decorative patternsor designs in addition to the matting, texturing, flocking, applicationof lacquers or foamable inks, or embossing employed to impart apaper-like texture and appearance to the sheet of polymeric material 10or the laminated material.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sheet of polymeric material 10 has a width30 extending generally between the first side 20 and the second side 22,respectively, sufficiently sized whereby the sheet of polymeric material10 can be wrapped about and encompass a floral grouping or a flower pot.The sheet of polymeric material 10 has a length 32 extending generallybetween the third side 24 and the fourth side 26, respectively,sufficiently sized whereby the sheet of polymeric material 10 extendsover a substantial portion of the floral grouping when the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 has been wrapped about the floral grouping inaccordance with the present invention, as described in detail herein.The sheet of polymeric material 10 may also be wrapped about a flowerpot to substantially wrap and cover the flower pot in accordance withthe present invention.

A plurality of sheets of polymeric material 10 having a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper may beconnected together to form a roll as is shown in U.S. Pat. No.5,459,976, issued to Weder et al. on Oct. 24, 1995, entitled “MATERIALAND ADHESIVE STRIP DISPENSER”, the specification of which is herebyexpressly incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the use of the sheet of polymeric material 10having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearanceof paper for wrapping a floral grouping 34 to provide a decorative cover36 having a texture and appearance assimilating paper (FIG. 5) for thefloral grouping 34 wherein the decorative cover 36 has an open upper end38 and a lower end 40. The sheet of polymeric material 10 may optionallyhave the strip of bonding material 27 disposed upon the upper surface14, the lower surface 16 or both, such as the strip of bonding material27 disposed along at least a portion of the upper surface 14 of thesheet of polymeric material 10 so that the strip of bonding material 27is disposed substantially adjacent the fourth side 26 thereofsubstantially as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Further, the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be provided either as an individual sheet orfrom a pad or roll of material.

The bonding material 27, if present, may have a backing or release strip(not shown). The backing or release strip may be left applied for aperiod of time to the bonding material 27 after it is disposed on asurface of the sheet of polymeric material 10 prior to its use as awrapping material in order to protect the bonding qualities of the stripof bonding material 27.

In operation, an operator may dispose the sheet of polymeric material 10having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearanceof paper on a support surface (not shown) whereby the lower surface 16of the sheet of polymeric material 10 (which has been modified toprovide the sheet of polymeric material 10 with a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper) contacts the supportsurface.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 3-5, the floral grouping 34 isplaced upon the upper surface 14 of the sheet of polymeric material 10in a diagonal orientation. The floral grouping 34 has an upper bloom orfoliage portion 42 and a lower stem portion 44. The sheet of polymericmaterial 10 is then wrapped about the floral grouping 34 by the operator(FIGS. 4 and 5), the operator overlapping a portion of the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 over another portion of the sheet of polymericmaterial 10. That is, for example, the operator places the first side 20of the sheet of polymeric material 10 over the floral grouping 34, asshown in FIG. 4. The operator continues to roll the floral grouping 34and the sheet of polymeric material 10 in the direction toward thesecond side 22 of the sheet of polymeric material 10 until the uppersurface 14 near the second side 22 firmly engages the lower surface 16of the sheet of polymeric material 10, wherein the floral grouping 34 issubstantially encompassed by the sheet of polymeric material 10, andwherein the bonding material 27 on the upper surface 14 contacts thelower surface 16 of the sheet of polymeric material 10 to provide thedecorative cover 36 having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper which substantially encompasses andsurrounds a substantial portion of the floral grouping 34. FIG. 5 showsthe floral grouping 34 wrapped in a conical fashion to provide thedecorative cover 36 for the floral grouping 34 wherein the decorativecover 36 has a texture and appearance assimilating paper. When thefloral grouping 34 is wrapped in a conical fashion, the bloom portion 42of the floral grouping 34 is exposed near the open upper end of thedecorative cover 36, and the stem portion 44 of the floral grouping 34is exposed near the lower end 40 of the decorative cover 36.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 6, the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 having a texture and appearance assimilating paper intexture and appearance is utilized to wrap the floral grouping 34 in acylindrical fashion. The floral grouping 34 is disposed upon the sheetof polymeric material 10 approximately parallel to the fourth side 26 ofthe sheet of polymeric material 10. The sheet of polymeric material 10is wrapped generally about the stem portion 44 of the floral grouping 34to a position wherein the fourth side 26 of the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 generally overlaps the third side 24 of the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 in a cylindrical fashion. It should be noted thatthe sheet of polymeric material 10 may be wrapped a plurality of timesabout the stem portion 44 of the floral grouping 34 before theoverlapping of the third side 24 and the fourth side 26 of the sheet ofpolymeric material 10. As before, the portion of the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 near the fourth side 26 is disposed generally adjacentanother portion of the sheet of polymeric material 10 and the twoadjacent portions then are brought into contact where they may bebondingly engaged, thereby securing the sheet of polymeric material 10generally about the floral grouping 34 so as to provide a decorativecover 36 a having a texture and appearance assimilating paper for thefloral grouping 34.

In another version of the invention, the sheet of polymeric material 10having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearanceof paper may be used to wrap a flower pot or pot-type container, asnoted above. Shown in FIG. 7 is a flower pot designated by the referencenumeral 50 having an open upper end 52, a bottom end 54, an outerperipheral surface 56, and an inner retaining space 58 within which maybe disposed a growing medium. The flower pot 50 may contain a botanicalitem, such as a plant 60, which has an upper portion 62 comprisingblooms or foliage or both.

The sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper may be wrapped aboutthe flower pot 50 by any one of numerous methods used to wrap sheets ofmaterial about flower pots to form decorative pot covers for flowerpots, such as a decorative cover 61 having a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper disposed about theflower pot 50 illustrated in FIG. 7. The sheet of polymeric material 10having a texture and appearance assimilating paper may, for example, beformed by hand about the outer peripheral surface 56 of the flower pot50 to produce the decorative cover 61 which has the appearance of beingfabricated of paper. The decorative cover 61 can then be secured aboutthe flower pot 50 by a bonding material or by an elastic band 64 suchthat the open upper end 52 of the flower pot 50 remains substantiallyuncovered by the decorative cover 61 substantially as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a flower pot cover former and band applicatordevice 66 for forming the sheet of polymeric material 10 having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paperinto the decorative cover 61 for the flower pot 50 of FIG. 7 isillustrated. The flower pot cover former and band applicator device 66comprises a band applicator 68 and a flower pot cover former 70. Theflower pot cover former and band applicator device 66 has a supportplatform 72 with an opening 74 formed therein. A band, such as theelastic band 64, is disposed circumferentially about the opening 74 inthe support platform 72.

The lower surface 16 of the sheet of polymeric material 10 (which hasbeen modified to provide the sheet of polymeric material 10 with atextured or matted surface assimilating paper in appearance) ispositioned on an upper surface 76 on the support platform 72 such thatthe sheet of polymeric material 10 is positioned over the opening 74 inthe support platform 72. The flower pot 50 is positioned above the sheetof polymeric material 10 and is moved in a direction indicated by anarrow 78 into the opening 74 of the flower pot cover former and bandapplicator device 66. As the flower pot 50 is moved into the opening 74,the sheet of polymeric material 10 is pressed about the outer peripheralsurface 56 of the flower pot 50, thereby forming the decorative cover 61having a texture and appearance assimilating paper about the flower pot50. The decorative cover 61, which has a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper, is then secured aboutthe flower pot 50 by the elastic band 64. The flower pot 50 having thedecorative cover 61 secured thereto is then moved in a directionindicated by the arrow 80 out of the opening 74 in the support platform72.

The elastic band 64 can be applied manually or automatically, such as bythe method shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,599, issued to Weder et al. onApr. 21, 1992, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference. The band 64 can also be applied as a tie using a method suchas is described in “Single Station Covering and Fastening System”, U.S.Pat. No. 5,609,009, issued to Weder et al. on Mar. 11, 1997, thespecification of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference. The sheet of polymeric material 10 having a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper can also beapplied automatically about the flower pot 50, for example, by methodsshown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,733,521 and 5,291,721, both of which arehereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Instead of securing the decorative cover 61 about the flower pot 50 viathe elastic band 64, the decorative cover 61 formed from the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper may be secured to the flower pot 50 bythe use of one or more bonding materials. For example, the upper surface14 of the sheet of polymeric material 10 may have a bonding materialsuch as the bonding material 27 disposed upon a portion thereof. Whenthe sheet of polymeric material 10 is disposed about the flower pot 50,at least a portion of the upper surface 14 of the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 contacts the outer peripheral surface 56 of the flower pot50 and is thereby bonded and held about the flower pot 50 via thebonding material 27.

The bonding material 27 may cover a portion of the upper surface 14 ofthe sheet of polymeric material 10, or the bonding material 27 mayentirely cover the upper surface 14 of the sheet of polymeric material10. The bonding material 27 may be disposed on the upper surface 14 ofthe sheet of polymeric material 10 in the form of a strip or in the formof spaced-apart spots. One method for disposing a bonding material 27 onthe sheet of polymeric material 10 is described in U.S. Pat. No.5,111,637, entitled “Method For Wrapping A Floral Grouping”, issued toWeder, et al. on May 12, 1992, which is expressly incorporated herein byreference.

The term “bonding material” when used herein can mean an adhesive,frequently a pressure sensitive adhesive, or a cohesive or anyadhesive/cohesive combination having adhesive qualities (i.e., qualitiesof adhesion or adhesion/cohesion, respectively) sufficient to cause theattachment of a portion of the sheet of polymeric material 10 to itself,to the floral grouping 34, or to the flower pot 50. Since the bondingmaterial 27 may comprise either an adhesive or an adhesive/cohesivecombination, it will be appreciated that both adhesives and cohesivesare known in the art, and both are commercially available. When thebonding material 27 is a cohesive, a similar cohesive material must beplaced on the adjacent surface for bondingly contacting and bondinglyengaging with the cohesive material.

The term “bonding material” also includes materials which are heatsealable and, in this instance, the adjacent portions of the materialmust be brought into contact and then heat must be applied to effect theseal. The term “bonding material” also includes materials which aresonically sealable and vibratory sealable. The term “bonding material”when used herein also means a heat sealing lacquer or hot melt materialwhich may be applied to the material and, in this instance, heat, soundwaves, or vibrations, also must be applied to effect the sealing.

The term “bonding material” when used herein also means any type ofmaterial or thing which can be used to effect the bonding or connectingof the two adjacent portions of the sheet of polymeric material 10 toeffect the connection or bonding described herein. The term “bondingmaterial” may also include ties, labels, bands, ribbons, strings, tapes(including single or double-sided adhesive tapes), staples orcombinations thereof. Some of the bonding materials would secure theends of the material while other bonding materials may bind thecircumference of a wrapper, or a sleeve, or, alternatively and/or inaddition, the bonding materials would secure overlapping folds in thematerial and/or sleeve. Another way to secure the sheet of polymericmaterial 10 about the floral grouping 34 or the flower pot 50 is to heatseal the ends of the material to another portion of the material. Oneway to do this is to contact the ends with an iron of sufficient heat toheat seal the material.

Alternatively, a cold seal adhesive may be utilized as the bondingmaterial 27. The cold seal adhesive adheres only to a similar substrate,acting similarly as a cohesive, and binds only to itself. The cold sealadhesive, since it bonds only to a similar substrate, does not cause aresidue to build up on equipment, thereby both permitting much morerapid disposition and use of such equipment to form articles andreducing labor costs. Further, since no heat is required to effect theseal, the dwell time, that is, the time for the sheet of material toform and retain the shape of an article, such as a flower pot cover orflower pot, is reduced. A cold seal adhesive binds quickly and easilywith minimal pressure, and such a seal is not readily releasable. Thischaracteristic is different from, for example, a pressure sensitiveadhesive.

The term “bonding material” when used herein also means any heat orchemically shrinkable material, and static electrical or otherelectrical material, chemical welding material, magnetic material,mechanical or barb-type fastening material or clamps, curl-typecharacteristics of the film or materials incorporated in material whichcan cause the material to take on certain shapes, cling films, slots,grooves, shrinkable materials and bands, curl materials, springs, andany type of welding method which may weld portions of the material toitself or to the pot, or to both the material itself and the pot.

Description of FIGS. 9-12

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, a decorative preformed flower potcover 110 is illustrated constructed from a sheet of polymeric materialhaving at least one surface thereof textured or modified to provide thesheet of polymeric material with a texture and appearance assimilatingthe texture and appearance of paper. The polymeric material having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paperis a flexible material such as the sheet of polymeric material 10 havinga texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper (FIG. 1), or a sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper(FIG. 9A) or a flexible laminated sheet of material 112 a having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper(FIG. 9B). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, the sheet of flexiblepolymeric material 112 having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper used in the construction of thedecorative preformed flower pot cover 110 comprises a sheet of expandedcore polymeric material 114 having an upper surface 116, a lower surface118 and a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil,more desirably in the range of from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil. Thesheet of expanded core polymeric material 114 is provided with a coatingof an acrylic heat sealable lacquer 120 disposed on at least one of theupper and lower surfaces 116 and 118 thereof. It should be understood,however, that the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 is notlimited to being the sheet of expanded core polymeric film 114 having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper;rather, the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 can be any flexiblepolymeric material or flexible laminated material, such as the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 or the sheet of flexible laminated polymericmaterial 112 a, which can be modified or textured so that at least onesurface of such polymeric material or laminated material is providedwith a finish or texture assimilating paper in appearance. As previouslystated, the modification of the polymeric material or laminatedpolymeric material, such as the sheet of polymeric material 10, thesheet of flexible laminated polymeric material 112 a, or the sheet ofexpanded core polymeric film 114 to provide the sheet of flexiblematerial with the desired matte or textured finish, can be accomplishedby printing a desired pattern on the sheet of polymeric material andthereafter laminating a matte material, such as a translucent polymericfilm over the printed pattern. To further enhance the texture andappearance of the sheet of polymeric material so that the sheet ofpolymeric material assimilates the texture and appearance of paper, thematte material may or may not have a plurality of spatially disposedholes extending therethrough. A matte or textured finish can also beproduced by printing a sheet of polymeric material with a matted (i.e.dull finish) ink, by lacquering at least one surface of the sheet ofpolymeric material with a dull finish lacquer or a matting lacquer, byembossing the sheet of polymeric material to provide an embossed patternassimilating the texture and appearance of paper, or by embossing andprinting the sheet of polymeric material to provide embossed and printedpatterns wherein the embossed and printed patterns may be in registry,out of registry, or wherein a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are in registry and a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are out of registry. In addition, a matte or textured finishcapable of providing the sheet of flexible polymeric material with atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of papercan be achieved by extruding a polymeric resin onto a matted or texturedchill roll to produce the expanded core polymeric material, or bylaminating a second sheet of material to the sheet of polymericmaterial, or by the use of selected pigments.

The sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 (FIG. 9A) having a textureand appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper may varyin color. Further, the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 may beprovided with other decorative patterns or designs in addition to thematting, texturing, flocking, application of lacquers or foamable inks,or embossing employed to impart a texture and appearance assimilatingthe texture and appearance of paper to the sheet of flexible polymericmaterial 112.

When the sheet of polymeric material, such as the sheet of flexiblepolymeric material 112, is formed into the decorative preformed flowerpot cover 110, a plurality of overlapping folds 122 are formed, and atleast a portion of the overlapping folds 122 are connected to adjacentlydisposed portions of the decorative preformed flower pot cover 110 viathe acrylic heat sealable lacquer 120.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the decorative preformed pot cover 110 hasan upper end 125, a lower end 126, and an outer peripheral surface 128.An opening 130 intersects the upper end 125, forming an inner peripheralsurface 132 which defines and encompasses a retaining space 133 withinwhich a flower pot 134 containing a floral grouping 136 may be disposedin a manner well known in the art.

In another embodiment, a sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 a(FIG. 9B) is used in the construction of the decorative preformed flowerpot cover 110. The sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 a is alaminated material which comprises a first sheet of material 114 ahaving an upper surface 116 a and a lower surface 118 a, and a secondsheet of material 120 a. At least one surface of the first sheet ofmaterial 114 a or the second sheet of material 120 a is modified toprovide the sheet of flexible laminated polymeric material 112 a withthe desired texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper. The sheet of flexible laminated polymeric material112 a having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be produced by laminating two or more sheets ofpolymeric film (such as two or more sheets of polypropylene film or asheet of polypropylene film and a sheet of expanded core polymeric film,such as expanded core polypropylene film), or by laminating a polymericfilm (such as polypropylene film or an expanded core polymeric film)with a sheet of metallized foil and the like wherein at least onesurface of the sheet of flexible laminated polymeric material 112 a istextured or modified to assimilate paper in appearance.

The first sheet of material 114 a desirably has a thickness of fromabout 0.5 mil to about 10 mil, and more desirably from about 0.6 mil toabout 1.25 mil, and the second sheet of material 120 a desirably has athickness of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil, and more desirably fromabout 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mils. The second sheet of material 120 a canbe laminated to the first sheet of material 114 a with a coloredadhesive so as to impart a desired color to the laminated sheet offlexible polymeric material 112 a. While the thickness of the sheet offlexible laminated polymeric material 112 a can vary widely and willgenerally depend on the thickness of the first sheet of material 114 aand the thickness of the second sheet of material 120 a, desirableresults can be obtained where the sheet of flexible laminated polymericmaterial 112 a has a thickness in the range of from about 1 mil to about20 mil, and more desirably from about 1.2 mil to about 2.5 mil.

As previously stated, the decorative preformed flower pot cover 110 maybe constructed of the sheet of polymeric material 10 having a textureand appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper (FIG.1), or of the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 (FIG. 9A), or ofthe laminated sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 a (FIG. 9B). Thedecorative preformed flower pot cover 110 so formed will have aplurality of overlapping folds 122 formed therein, at least a portionthereof being connected. If desired, the decorative preformed flower potcover 110 can be formed of a plurality of sheets of the same and/ordifferent types of material.

The method and apparatus employed to form the decorative preformedflower pot cover 110 having a texture and appearance of paper issubstantially identical whether one uses one or more sheets of polymericmaterial 10 (FIG. 1), or one or more sheets of flexible polymericmaterial 112 (FIG. 9A), or one or more sheets of flexible laminatedpolymeric material 112 a (FIG. 9B), or a combination of such sheets ofmaterial. Thus, only the formation of the decorative preformed flowerpot cover 110 having a texture and appearance of paper using the sheetof flexible polymeric material 112 of FIG. 9A will be described indetail hereinafter.

The decorative preformed flower pot cover 110 may be formed using aconventional mold system 140 comprising a male mold 142 and a femalemold 144 having a mold cavity 146 for matingly receiving the male mold142 (FIG. 12). The sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 having atexture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paperis positioned between the male and female molds 142 and 144,respectively. Movement of the male mold 142 in the direction indicatedby an arrow 148 and into the mold cavity 146 forces the sheet offlexible polymeric material 112 to be disposed about the portion of themale mold 142 disposed in the mold cavity 146 of the female mold 144 andthereby forms the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 into thepreformed decorative flower pot cover 110 having a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper (FIGS. 10and 11). Further, in accordance with the present invention, thedecorative preformed flower pot cover 110 constructed from the materialsdescribed herein above may have a bonding material disposed upon aportion thereof.

Methods for forming such preformed decorative pot covers are well knownin the art. Two methods of forming such covers are described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,773,182 and 5,291,721, each of which is expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

Description of FIGS. 13-19

Shown in FIG. 13 is a decorative cover designated therein by the generalreference numeral 160 which comprises a flexible bag or sleeve 162 ofunitary construction having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper in accordance with the presentinvention. The sleeve 162 may be used as a decorative cover 160 for afloral grouping or a flower pot. The sleeve 162 initially comprises aflexible flat collapsed piece of polymeric material which is openable inthe form of a tube or sleeve. Such sleeves are well known in the floralindustry. Further, in accordance with the present invention, thedecorative cover 160 can be constructed of the sheet of flexiblepolymeric material 10 (FIG. 1), or the sheet of flexible polymericmaterial 112 (FIG. 9A), or the sheet of laminated flexible polymericmaterial 112 a (FIG. 9B) whereby at least a portion of one surface ofthe sleeve 162, preferably an outer peripheral surface 164 of the sleeve162, has been modified to provide the sleeve 162 with a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper, aspreviously described herein.

The sleeve 162 has an upper end 166, a lower end 168 and the outerperipheral surface 164. The sleeve 162 may be tapered outwardly from thelower end 168 toward a larger diameter at its upper end 166. In itsflattened state the sleeve 162 generally has an overall trapezoidal ormodified trapezoidal shape, and when opened is substantiallyfrusto-conical in configuration. It will be appreciated, however, thatthe sleeve 162 may comprise variations on the aforementioned shapes ormay comprise significantly altered shapes such as square or rectangular,wherein the sleeve 162 when opened has a cylindrical form, as long asthe sleeve 162 functions in accordance with the present invention in themanner described herein. The sleeve 162 (or any other sleeve disclosedherein) may have an angular or contoured shape.

The sleeve 162 has an opening 170 at the upper end 166 thereof and maybe open at the lower end 168, or closed with a bottom at the lower end168. The sleeve 162 also has an inner peripheral surface 172 which, whenthe sleeve 162 is opened, defines and encompasses an inner retainingspace 174. When the lower end 168 of the sleeve 162 is closed, a portionof the lower end 168 may be inwardly folded to form one or more gussets(not shown) for allowing the lower portion of the inner retaining space174 to be expandable, for example, for receiving the circular bottom ofa pot or growing medium.

The sleeve 162 is generally frusto-conically shaped, but the sleeve 162may be, by way of example but not by way of limitation, cylindrical,frusto-conical, a combination of both frusto-conical and cylindrical, orany other shape, as long as the sleeve 162 functions as described hereinas noted above. Further, the sleeve 162 may comprise any shape, whethergeometric, non-geometric, asymmetrical and/or fanciful, as long as itfunctions in accordance with the present invention. The sleeve 162 mayalso be equipped with drain holes (if having a closed bottom) or sideventilation holes (not shown), or can be made from gas permeable orimpermeable materials.

The material from which the sleeve 162 is constructed is the same aspreviously described above for the sheet of polymeric material 10 havinga texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper, or the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 or 112 a having atexture and appearance assimilating paper. Any thickness of polymericmaterial may be utilized in accordance with the present invention aslong as the sleeve 162 may be formed as described herein, is providedwith a texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper, and as long as the formed sleeve 162 may contain at least aportion of a flower pot or a floral grouping, as described herein.Additionally, an insulating material such as bubble film, preferable asone of two or more layers, can be utilized in order to provideadditional protection for the item, such as a floral grouping, containedtherein.

In FIG. 14 the sleeve 162 is illustrated as having a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper provided onthe outer peripheral surface 164 of the sleeve 162. A floral grouping176 is disposed within the inner retaining space 174 of the sleeve 162.Generally, an upper or bloom portion 178 of the floral grouping 176 isexposed near the opening 170 of the sleeve 162 and a lower or stemportion 180 of the floral grouping 176 is exposed near the lower end 168of the sleeve 162. Either end of the sleeve 162 may be closed about thefloral grouping 176. Generally, a portion of the sleeve 162 is tightenedabout a portion of the stem portion 180 of the floral grouping 176 forholding the decorative cover 160 about the floral grouping 176. Forexample, the sleeve 162 may be held by a tie 182 tied about the sleeve162, such as is shown in FIG. 14. Other methods for binding the sleeve162 about the floral grouping 176 may be employed, such as the bondingmaterials described elsewhere herein. For example, as shown in FIG. 15,a decorative cover 160 a is shown which comprises a sleeve 162 a havinga texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper and a cinching tab 184 having a bonding material 186 disposed upona surface thereof. The cinching tab 184 can be used to gather portionsof the sleeve 162 a together about the stem portion 180 of the floralgrouping 176 as shown in FIG. 16 for holding the sleeve 162 a tightlyabout the floral grouping 176.

Similarly, it may generally be desired to use the sleeve 162 as adecorative cover for a flower pot, as will be described in furtherdetail below. The flower pot will generally contain a botanical item orplant. The flower pot can be deposited into the open sleeve 162 in amanner well known in the art, such as manually wherein the sleeve 162 isopened by hand and the flower pot deposited therein.

As noted above, a bonding material may be disposed on a portion of thesleeve 162 or any sleeve described herein to assist in holding thesleeve 162 to the flower pot when the flower pot is disposed within thesleeve 162 or to assist in closing the upper end 166 of the sleeve 162or adhering the sleeve 162 to the flower pot after the flower pot hasbeen disposed therein, as will be discussed in further detail below.

It will be understood that the bonding material, if present, may bedisposed as a strip or block on a surface of the sleeve 162. The bondingmaterial may also be disposed upon either the outer peripheral surface164 or the inner peripheral surface 172 of the sleeve 162, as well asupon the flower pot. Further, the bonding material may be disposed asspots of bonding material, or in any other geometric, non-geometric,asymmetric, or fanciful form, and in any pattern, including coveringeither the entire inner peripheral surface 172 and/or outer peripheralsurface 164 of the sleeve 162 and/or the flower pot. The bondingmaterial may be covered by a cover or release strip which can be removedprior to the use of the sleeve 162 or flower pot. The bonding materialcan be applied by methods known to those of ordinary skill in their art.One method for disposing a bonding material, in this case an adhesive,is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,637, issued to Weder et al. on May12, 1993, which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

As noted above, a bonding material may be disposed on at least a portionof the inner peripheral surface 172 of the sleeve 162, or,alternatively, the bonding material may be disposed on the outerperipheral surface of a flower pot contained within the sleeve 162 whilethe sleeve 162 may be free of the bonding material. In a furtheralternative, the bonding material may be disposed both on at least aportion of the flower pot as well as upon at least a portion of theinner peripheral surface 172 of the sleeve 162. In addition, a portionof the bonding material may also be disposed on the outer peripheralsurface 164 of the sleeve 162 as well. It will be understood that thebonding material may be disposed in a solid section of bonding material.The bonding material, when present, is disposed on the sleeve 162 and/orflower pot by any method known in the art.

Certain versions of sleeves described herein may be used in combinationwith a preformed pot cover. For example, a preformed pot cover may beapplied to the pot, then the covered pot wrapped or disposed within asleeve. Either the cover or the sleeve, or both, have a texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper. Examples ofsleeves which may be used in this invention are shown in thespecification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,979, issued to Weder on May 6,1997, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. Equipment and devices for forming sleeves are commerciallyavailable, and well known in the art.

Shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 is another embodiment of a decorative cover 160b comprising a sleeve 162 b having a texture and appearance assimilatingthe texture and appearance of paper constructed from the sheet ofpolymeric material 10 or the sheet of flexible polymeric material 112 or112 a in accordance with the present invention. The sleeve 162 b has a“detaching” element in predetermined areas for detaching a portion ofthe sleeve 162 b. The sleeve 162 b generally initially comprises aflexible flat collapsed piece of material which is openable in the formof a tube or sleeve. The sleeve 162 b is constructed of the samematerial and in the same way as the sleeve 162 described previouslyherein and may be described exactly the same as the sleeve 162 describedherein except for the additional elements described hereinafter.

The sleeve 162 b has an upper end 166 b, a lower end 168 b, and an outerperipheral surface 164 b. The sleeve 162 b has an opening 170 b at theupper end 166 b thereof, and the sleeve 162 b may be open at the lowerend 168 b or closed with a bottom at the lower end 168 b. In a flattenedstate, the sleeve 162 b has a first side 171 and a second side 173. Thesleeve 162 b also has an inner peripheral surface 172 b which, when thesleeve 162 b is opened, defines and encompasses an inner retaining space174 b as shown in FIG. 18. When the lower end 168 b of the sleeve 162 bhas a closed bottom, a portion of the lower end 168 b may be inwardlyfolded to form one or more gussets (not shown) for permitting a circularbottom of an object such as a flower pot 187 to be disposed in the innerretaining space 174 b of the lower end 168 b of the sleeve 162 b.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the sleeve 162 b is demarcated into anupper portion 188 and a lower portion 190. The lower portion 190 of thesleeve 162 b is generally sized to contain the flower pot 187. The upperportion 188 of the sleeve 162 b is sized to substantially surround andencompass a plant 192 contained in the flower pot 187 disposed withinthe lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b. The sleeve 162 b isdemarcated into the upper portion 188 and the lower portion 190 by adetaching element 194 for enabling the detachment of the upper portion188 of the sleeve 162 b from the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b.In the present version, the detaching element 194 is a plurality ofgenerally laterally-oriented or alternatingly diagonally-orientedperforations which extend circumferentially across the outer peripheralsurface 164 b of the sleeve 162 b from the first side 171 to the secondside 173.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the lower portion 190 of thesleeve 162 b further comprises a base portion 196 and a skirt portion198. The base portion 196 of the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 bcomprises that part of the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b which,when the flower pot 187 is placed into the lower portion 190 of thesleeve 162 b, has an inner peripheral surface 172 b which issubstantially adjacent to and surrounds an outer peripheral surface 199of the flower pot 187. The skirt portion 198 of the lower portion 190 ofthe sleeve 162 b comprises that part of the lower portion 190 of thesleeve 162 b which extends beyond an open upper end 201 of the flowerpot 187 and adjacent at least a portion of the plant 192 containedwithin the flower pot 187 and which is left to freely extend at anangle, inwardly or outwardly, from the base portion 196 when the upperportion 188 of the sleeve 162 b is detached from the lower portion 190of the sleeve 162 b by actuation of the detaching element 194.

In the intact sleeve 162 b, the skirt portion 198 of the sleeve 162 bcomprises an upper peripheral edge congruent with the detaching element194 which is connected to a lower peripheral edge, also congruent withthe detaching element 194, of the upper portion 188 of the sleeve 162 b.In FIGS. 17 and 18, the upper peripheral edge of the skirt portion 198of the sleeve 162 b is congruent with a series of alternatinglydiagonally-oriented lines of perforations which together form a zig-zagand comprise the detaching element 194. The upper portion 188 of thesleeve 162 b may also have an additional detaching element 200 indicatedas a plurality of vertical perforations for facilitating removal of theupper portion 188 of the sleeve 162 b and which are disposed more orless vertically therein extending between the detaching element 194 ofthe sleeve 162 b and the upper end 166 b of the sleeve 162 b.

The upper portion 188 of the sleeve 162 b is thereby separable from thelower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b by tearing the upper portion 188along both the detaching element 200 and the detaching element 194,thereby separating the upper portion 188 from the lower portion 190 ofthe sleeve 162 b. The lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b remainsdisposed as the base portion 196 about the flower pot 187 and as theskirt portion 198 about the plant 192, forming a decorative cover 202,as shown in FIG. 19, which substantially surrounds and encompasses theflower pot 187 and the plant 192 contained therein. An outer peripheralsurface 164 b of the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b, for example,the base and skirt portions 196 and 198, may be modified to provide thelower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b with a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper, while the upperportion 188 of the sleeve 162 b is left unmodified or is printed with adesign; or both the upper portion 188 and the lower portion 190 of thesleeve 162 b may be provided with a modified or textured surface so thatboth the upper portion 188 and the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 bis provided with a texture or appearance assimilating paper. When theupper portion 188 of the sleeve 162 b is detached, the lower portion 190of the sleeve 162 b remains disposed about the flower pot 187 andthereby forms the decorative cover 202 about the flower pot 187 whichhas the appearance of paper.

“Detaching element” as used herein means any element, or combination ofelements, or features, such as, but not by way of limitation,perforations, tear strips, zippers, and any other devices or elements ofthis nature known in the art, or any combination thereof. Therefore,while perforations are shown and described in detail herein, it will beunderstood that tear strips, zippers, or any other “detaching elements”known in the art, or any combination thereof, could be substitutedtherefor and/or used therewith.

In a general method of use of sleeve 162 b as a decorative cover 202 fora flower pot, an operator provides the sleeve 162 b and the flower pot187 having a plant 192 disposed in a growing medium 203 contained withinthe flower pot 187. The operator then disposes the flower pot 176 bhaving the plant 192 and the growing medium 203 contained therein intothe sleeve 162 b by opening the sleeve 162 b at the upper end 166 bthereof and assuring both that the opening 170 b therein is in an opencondition, and that the inner peripheral surface 172 b of the sleeve 162b is somewhat expanded outward as well, as shown in FIG. 18. Theoperator then manually or automatically disposes the flower pot 187 intothe opening 170 b in the sleeve 162 b, the flower pot 187 being disposedgenerally through the upper portion 188 of the sleeve 162 b intogenerally the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b, the flower pot 187remaining in the lower portion 190 of the sleeve 162 b, permitting thesleeve 162 b to substantially surround and tightly encompass the flowerpot 187. It will be understood that alternatively, the sleeve 162 bmaybe provided with an extension (not shown), and the sleeve 162 b maybe disposed on rods or wickets, and the flower pot 187 may then bedisposed in the sleeve 162 b either before or after the sleeve 162 b hasbeen removed from the wickets.

Embodiments of FIGS. 20A-20C

Referring now to FIG. 20A, designated generally by the reference numeral210 is a polymeric ribbon material having a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper for forming decorativebows and for wrapping items. That is, at least one surface of a web ofpolymeric material (not shown) is modified to provide a matte ortextured finish 212 assimilating the appearance of paper. Themodification of the web of polymeric material (not shown) to provide thepolymeric ribbon material 210 with a matte or textured finish 212assimilating paper can be accomplished in several ways. For example, thepolymeric ribbon material 210 having the matte or textured finish 212can be produced by printing a web of polymeric material with a matted(i.e. dull finish) ink, by lacquering at least one surface of the sheetof polymeric material with a dull finish lacquer or a matting lacquer,by embossing the sheet of polymeric material to provide an embossedpattern simulating the texture and appearance of paper, by flocking thesheet of polymeric material, by application of a foamable lacquer orfoamable ink to the sheet of polymeric material, or by embossing andprinting the sheet of polymeric material to provide embossed and printedpatterns, wherein the embossed and printed patterns may be in registry,out of registry, or wherein a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are in registry and a portion of the embossed and printedpatterns are out of registry. In addition, a matte or textured finish212 capable of providing the sheet of polymeric material with a textureand appearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper can beachieved by extruding a polymeric resin onto a matted or textured chillroll. Thereafter, the web of material having a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper can be cut in aconventional manner to provide the polymeric ribbon material 210 havinga texture and appearance assimilating the texture and appearance ofpaper.

Any polymeric material capable of being textured or otherwise modifiedto provide the polymeric material with a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper can be employed in theformulation of the polymeric ribbon material 210. For example, thepolymeric material employed to produce the polymeric ribbon material 210can be polypropylene film having a thickness of from about 0.1 mil toabout 30 mil, and more desirably of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil,or an expanded core polymeric film having a thickness of from about 0.5mil to about 10 mil.

Referring now to FIG. 20B, designated generally by the reference numeral220 is another embodiment of a polymeric ribbon material for formingdecorative bows and for wrapping items. The polymeric ribbon material220 is a laminated material comprising a first web or sheet of material222 having a thickness of from about 0.5 mil to about 10 mil, and moredesirably from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil, and a second web orsheet of material 224 having a thickness of from about 0.5 mil to about10 mil, and more desirably from about 0.6 mil to about 1.25 mil. Thelaminated material having a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper can be produced by laminating two ormore sheets of polymeric film (such as two or more sheets ofpolypropylene film or a sheet of polypropylene film and a sheet ofexpanded core polymeric film, such as expanded core polypropylene film),or by laminating a polymeric film (such as polypropylene film or anexpanded core polymeric film) with a sheet of metallized foil and thelike wherein at least one surface of the laminated material is texturedor modified to assimilate the texture and appearance of paper. Thesecond web or sheet of material 224 is desirably laminated to the firstweb or sheet of material 222 with a colored adhesive so as to impart adesired color to the polymeric ribbon material 220. If desired thepolymeric ribbon material 220 may be treated or otherwise processed toprovide the polymeric ribbon material 220 with a matte or texturedfinish 226 assimilating paper in appearance so that the polymeric ribbonmaterial 220 has a paper-like appearance similar to the polymeric ribbonmaterial 210 hereinbefore described with reference to FIG. 20A. That is,the matte or textured finish 226 assimilating paper in texture andappearance can be printed on the first web or sheet of material 222, andthereafter the second web or sheet of material 224 (which in this caseis desirably a matte material of translucent polymeric film) islaminated to the first web or sheet of material 222 to provide thepolymeric ribbon material 220 with a texture and appearance assimilatingthe texture and appearance of paper. To further enhance the texture andappearance assimilating the texture and appearance of paper of thepolymeric ribbon material 220, the second web or sheet of material 224may or may not have a plurality of spatially disposed holes extendingtherethrough. The matte or textured finish 226 can be produced byprinting at least one of the first and second webs or sheets of material222 and 224 with a matted (i.e. dull finish) ink, by lacquering at leastone surface of at least one of the first and second webs or sheets ofmaterial 222 and 224 with a dull finish lacquer or a matting lacquer, byflocking at least one of the first and second webs or sheets of material222 and 224, by application of a foamable lacquer or foamable ink to atleast one of the first and second webs or sheets of material 222 and224, by embossing at least one of the first and second webs or sheets ofmaterial 222 and 224 to provide an embossed pattern assimilating theappearance and texture of paper, or by embossing and printing at leastone of the first and second webs or sheets of material 222 and 224 toprovide embossed and printed patterns wherein the embossed and printedpatterns may be in registry, out of registry or wherein a portion of theembossed and printed patterns are in registry and a portion of theembossed and printed patterns are out of registry. In addition, thematte or textured finish 226 capable a providing the polymeric ribbonmaterial 220 with a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be achieved by extruding the resin used toproduce one of the first and second webs or sheets of material 222 and224 onto a matted or textured chill roll.

Referring now to FIG. 20C, designated generally by the reference numeral230 is another embodiment of a polymeric ribbon material for formingdecorative bows and for wrapping items. The polymeric ribbon material230 comprises a polymeric film 232 having an upper surface 234, a lowersurface 236. An acrylic heat sealable lacquer 238 can applied to atleast one of the upper and lower surfaces 234 and 236 of the polymericfilm 232, such as the lower surface 236 of the polymeric film 232, andthe upper surface 234 of the polymeric film 232 is desirably modified toprovide the polymeric ribbon material 230 with a matte or texturedfinish 239 assimilating the texture and appearance of paper. Themodification of the polymeric film 232 to provide the polymeric ribbonmaterial 230 with a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be accomplished in several ways. For example,the polymeric ribbon material 230 having the matte or textured finish239 can be produced by printing the polymeric film 232 with a matted(i.e. dull finish) ink, by lacquering at least one surface 234 or 236 ofthe polymeric film 232 with a dull finish lacquer or a matting lacquer,by flocking the polymeric film 232, by application of a foamable lacqueror foamable ink to the polymeric film 232, by embossing the polymericfilm 232 to provide an embossed pattern assimilating the texture andappearance of paper, or by embossing and printing the polymeric film 232to provide embossed and printed patterns, wherein the embossed andprinted patterns may be in registry, out of registry, or wherein aportion of the embossed and printed patterns are in registry and aportion of the embossed and printed patterns are out of registry. Inaddition, the matte or textured finish 240 capable of providing thepolymeric film 232 with a texture and appearance assimilating thetexture and appearance of paper can be achieved by extruding a polymericresin onto a matted or textured chill roll. Thereafter, the polymericfilm 232 having a texture and appearance assimilating the texture andappearance of paper can be cut in a conventional manner to provide thepolymeric ribbon material 230.

Any polymeric film capable of being textured or otherwise modified toprovide the polymeric film 232 with a texture and appearanceassimilating the texture and appearance of paper can be employed in theformulation of the polymeric ribbon material 230. For example, thepolymeric film 232 employed to produce the polymeric ribbon material 230can be polypropylene film having a thickness of from about 0.1 mil toabout 30 mill, and more desirably of from about 0.5 mill to about 10mill, or an expanded core polymeric film having a thickness of fromabout 0.6 mil to about 10 mill.

Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the variouscomponents, elements and assemblies described herein or in the steps orthe sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for wrapping a floral grouping with apolymeric sleeve having an appearance or texture simulating theappearance or texture of paper, the method comprising the steps of:providing a floral grouping having a bloom portion and a stem portion;providing a polymeric sleeve formed of a polymeric film and having anupper end, a lower end, an inner peripheral surface, an outer peripheralsurface and an inner retaining space, at least a portion of at least oneof the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the polymeric sleeve beingprovided with an appearance or texture simulating the appearance ortexture of paper; disposing the floral grouping into the inner retainingspace of the polymeric sleeve; and binding the polymeric sleeve aboutthe floral grouping by tightening a portion of the polymeric sleeveabout a portion of the stem portion of the floral grouping for holdingthe polymeric sleeve about the floral grouping, thereby forming adecorative cover for the floral grouping.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein, in the step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymericsleeve is provided with a bonding material disposed on a portion of theouter peripheral surface of the polymeric sleeve for securing thepolymeric sleeve about the floral grouping.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein, in the step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymericsleeve is provided with a bonding material disposed on a portion of theinner peripheral surface of the polymeric sleeve for securing thepolymeric sleeve about the floral grouping.
 4. The method of claim 1wherein, in the step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymericsleeve is provided with a bonding material disposed on portions of theinner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of thepolymeric sleeve.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofproviding the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further providedwith a printed pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surfacethereof in addition to the texture or appearance simulating the textureor appearance of paper.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein, in the step ofproviding the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further providedwith an embossed pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surfacethereof.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of theprinted pattern and the embossed pattern are in registry with oneanother.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of theprinted pattern and the embossed pattern are out of register with oneanother.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step of providing thepolymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further provided with anembossed pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surface thereofin addition to the texture or appearance simulating the texture orappearance of paper.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein, in the step ofproviding the polymeric sleeve, the texture or appearance simulating thetexture or appearance of paper is provided by at least one of printing,embossing, lacquering, texturing, matting, flocking and combinationsthereof.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the texture or appearancesimulating the texture or appearance of paper is provided by printingwith a matted ink or lacquering with a matted lacquer.
 12. The method ofclaim 10 wherein the texture or appearance simulating the texture orappearance of paper is provided by printing with a foamable ink orlacquering with a foamable lacquer.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein,in the step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric film fromwhich the sleeve is constructed has a thickness in a range of from about0.6 mil to about 10 mil.
 14. A method for wrapping a floral groupingwith a polymeric sleeve having an appearance or texture simulating theappearance or texture of paper, comprising: providing a floral groupinghaving a bloom portion and a stem portion; providing a polymeric sleeveformed of a flexible polymeric material having a thickness in the rangeof from about 0.1 mil to about 30 mil, the polymeric sleeve having anupper end, a lower end, an inner peripheral surface, an outer peripheralsurface, and an inner retaining space, at least a portion of one of theouter and inner peripheral surfaces of the polymeric sleeve having anappearance or texture simulating the appearance or texture of paper;disposing the floral grouping into the inner retaining space of thepolymeric sleeve; and binding the polymeric sleeve about the floralgrouping by tightening a portion of the polymeric sleeve about a portionof the stem portion of the floral grouping for holding the polymericsleeve about the floral grouping.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein, inthe step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve isprovided with a bonding material disposed on a portion of the outerperipheral surface of the polymeric sleeve for securing the polymericsleeve about the floral grouping.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein, inthe step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve isprovided with a bonding material disposed on a portion of the innerperipheral surface of the polymeric sleeve for securing the polymericsleeve about the floral grouping.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein, inthe step of providing the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve isprovided with a bonding material disposed on portions of the innerperipheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the polymericsleeve.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein, in the step of providing thepolymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further provided with aprinted pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surface thereof inaddition to the texture or appearance simulating the texture orappearance of paper.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein, in the step ofproviding the polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further providedwith an embossed pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surfacethereof.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of theprinted pattern and the embossed pattern are in registry with oneanother.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of theprinted pattern and the embossed pattern are out of register with oneanother.
 22. The method of claim 14 wherein, in the step of providingthe polymeric sleeve, the polymeric sleeve is further provided with anembossed pattern disposed on at least a portion of one surface thereofin addition to the texture or appearance simulating the texture orappearance of paper.
 23. The method of claim 14 wherein, in the step ofproviding the polymeric sleeve, the texture or appearance simulating thetexture or appearance of paper is provided by at least one of printing,embossing, lacquering, texturing, matting, flocking and combinationsthereof.
 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the texture or appearancesimulating the texture or appearance of paper is provided by printingwith a matted ink or lacquering with a matted lacquer.
 25. The method ofclaim 23 wherein the texture or appearance simulating the texture orappearance of paper is provided by printing with a foamable ink orlacquering with a foamable lacquer.